https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM0_KzI0BYA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Paranormal activity

The craze about paranormal activity-the movie- has been overcome by a craze to find out if this documentary was a "found-it-there after the incidence" reality or filmed to make it look like real.

Most viewers after watching the movie have confessed that their first move was to google the movie on the net and find out about the "truth" behind the documentary. The populist vote is that it is in fact, just a film made carefully to look like a documented tape that was found after the protagonist was sucked into the mysterious paranormal world- a revelation some find comforting and some disappointing.

There are a lot of ghost-hunters who derive thrill from wandering into the realm of the paranormal and love their encounters there. They surely must be disappointed with the truth of the movie being false. However there are the set who find it extremely comforting to know that the movie is not real. I do not know which set of people will draw up a bigger circle on any Venn diagram, but i sure do know that i belong to the latter set. I am no taker of horror movies.

But what makes Paranormal such a hero in its genre? It too is a horror movie, it too has the unknown racking havoc into the lives of its victim and it too does not spare its viewer a calm breath. If anybody read the script of the movie without have seen it, it would end up as a run-of-mill haunted house movie to them; probably even a poor one. However, icons like Steven Spielberg have proclaimed this to be one of the most daunting horror movies of the recent times. So, what does this movie do that steals the show so well?

Firstly, i think that the idea of giving the movie a documentary feel instead of a regular edited movie look was an extremely clever idea. Then allowing the protagonists use their real names as their reel names gave it a very real feel too. Thirdly, siting dedications in the name of the lead cast tricked you into believing the authenticity of the documentary. However, the nail in the coffin (of course combined with all the clauses mentioned above) was to deliberately leave the paranormal activity headless- without a face. This way no one knew WHAT was wrecking their peace; but they knew it was destructive enough to be scared to shit from.

Most horror movies are psychological thrillers that know the human psyche so well that they just corner the viewer into this dark unknown place like a mindtrap. However, Paranormal can crown a feather in its cap because it has successfully reaped benefits from one of the very basic human psyche- fear of the unknown. Movies which show scary ghosts, children, flying witches etc are unbearable- no doubt. But leaving the ghost headless just pushes the viewer into a whirlwind of anticpiation, horror and endless sweat! This, I feel is one of the queerest human trait that sets us apart- the unknown scares us more than the known. Sensing the presence of a flying ghost is more scary than bumping into one. A witch running towards you is less scary than the thought of it standing behind the door waiting. The unknown, unseen and un"felt" scare us more than the truth. For us, thought is scarier than the truth. We are more at ease if we see things, find the truth behind it and unravel the mysteries rather than having an unexplainable phenomenon around us. We, as humans, are shit scared of the unknown and cant bear to live in its realm. I guess this justifies our quest to know more about the universe, the life forms around us, nature's laws and all that mystifies us. It explains the millions of dollars that pumps researchers to understand the unknown and push it in the comforting category of the known. The more we know, the more we want to find out.

Why is it so? Why cant we bear to live in a little bit of ignorance? Is it because we are the smartest race on earth or at least, we think ourselves to be? Is it because, we feel, it is on our shoulders to unravel the mysteries of the universe? Why are unknowns always sucked up into some form of superstition, mystery or marvel; waiting for science to come and reveal the truth?

I dont know the answer to this human behaviour. Some call it curiosity, some call it human nature. I, for once, want to let it be. The unknown has its own humbling feeling that makes us realise that we are not the Almighty. I like the mystical unknown.

My Name is??????????

With all the gung-ho about this new SRK blockbuster coming up "My Name is Khan" is quite a popular line. Finally happy about the genre of movies that deal with neurological issues, i am only praying that Karan Johar does justice to autism and the awareness that needs to be so badly spread and does not end up doing a typical filmy over-cheesy KJo moment. May God give him some taste this time.

Anyway, the deal about this movie catching my eye has nothing to do with me being a SRK fan and i have made it extremely clear, i think, that i am neither a Karan Johar fan. And Kajol, though looking splendid has not either been the inspiration for this new blog.

What catches my attention is the emphasis on the answer to a basic kindergarten question- What is your name? Depending on your answer people deduce immense conclusions about you- some true, some fabricated and some influenced. For example, if your answer is, "My name is Khan" the listner pictures a Muslim person with a skull cap who more often than not is dressed in a pure white spotless kurta payjama. If you answer, "My name is Singh" you can expect a smile across the listener's face as he fishes out a potrait of a happy jolly man in a turban always cracking jokes. Its interesting how we have instant character sketches attached with names.

My tryst with names was post marriage. Mostly the trend in India is that girls adopt their husband's surname after marriage. There is no such law, but its just a stylish trend. And this was something I was looking forward to. Having started practicing my new signature soon after Mani had proposed to me, i had almost 5 years of signing practice by the time i got married! But as is most of life, this too was about to end in anti-climax. I was stuck with a 10 year US visa on my old name and i had planned a little world tour with Mani soon after marriage. Changing anything now, would just make me miss my grandeous oppurtunity of seeing the world with him. Choosing instant happiness over a long seeded wish, i stayed on with my old surname and bought myself almost 2 months of time by avoiding any change in passport details. And i was off on my long honeymoon!

But i have had various instances when i have had to explain my reason for clinging on to my old surname. To nail down the fact that im also a loving Indian wife. I just happen to have my maiden surname. However, it is a point of lot of discussion, awe and (sometimes) disgust to lots of over-curious people whom i meet now and then.

I ask myself, and you- why do we have a surname. how important is it? does it speak anything of us? Does it always speak in our favor? Or does it work against us too? Is having a surname really that important?

Names were set up only for purpose of identity, i guess. I am sure the Rakeshes, Rameshes, Poojas roaming the streets will respond to their first names being called out faster than their surnames being called out. Having a first name is enough for addressal purposes. What, then, is the need of a surname? imagine a world of only first names- no Khan, no bhatnagars, no singhs, no rao, no iyer, no paul, no johnstons- nothing. Simply you and me.

Their would be no religious connotations attached with you, no preconceived notions about your character, no expectations of any kinds. No undue favour from a boss who happens to be of the same caste nor any discrimination based on any caste either. No grouping up because you are from the same religion or region. You would be known for you, for who you are, for the person you are- not because you carry a tag of a particular caste or religion.

With the 60th republic day being celebrated in India recently, lot of discussions are seen everyday on what we want to change in our very old stagnant constitution. If somebody asks me, i would like a ban on surnames to be incorporated in the constitution. this could, who knows, prevent so many racial issues cutting across our immensely diverse community.

With due respect to Shakespeare, i feel that if he were born in India- he would also agree with me and would have asked, "Whats in a SURname?" wont you Mr Shakespeare, err, Im sorry...William?

iam happiest when i..........

just yesterday i went to register for a dance class. i had been contemplating it for a long time. With marriage and a new business, i wasnt what you will call exactly "free"; but by now i had settled down enough (both in marriage and business) to finally be able to take out time to do what i love doing- DANCE!

while registering, my instructor had a friendly little interview about me and my dance.

he asked about my previous experience with dance. though not trained thoruoghly,whenever somebody questions about my dance i find this question very uneasy. its as if somebody has asked me why i want to exist. to me, dance is something as fundamental as breathing. but i guess i needed to do a little explanation to my new instructor anyway. so i told him about my indian classical dancing lessons in kolkatta, my salsa club and performing arts classes in mumbai and my own passion for choreography.

when he got the point, that i was serious about my love for dance; he told me to fill up a little form. everything was easy, except the last bit. there was a line that i had to complete. it read " I want to dance because................."

Writing mundane stuff like, i love to dance or its fun or i am passionate about it was sounding too restricted to express my sea of passion about dance and choreography. i waited a minute before penning down anything. agreed that my life did not depend on this fill-in-the-blank, but i felt i owed it to dance to write an honest answer; something that came from deep within my gut and heart! and finally, i finished the line- i want to dance because......

"I AM HAPPIEST WHEN IAM DANCING."

having written that, i felt content. i knew i had managed the mammoth task of filling my passion about dance into one line. and i felt good about it.

but all the way back home, i felt that this is something that most of us dont ask ourselves as much as we should-

"when are we the happiest?"

the answer could be as silly as "iam happiest when i see my dog wag his tail"; but knowing the answer to this question is extremely important.

coz knowing the answer to this question is the the first step towards "Pursuit of HappYness." isnt it?